SAGINAW — At least three young girls testified today against 67-year-old Johnnie L. Griffin, charged, in part, with sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl after the girl’s grandmother delivered her to him in exchange for drugs.

Saginaw County District Judge A.T. Frank granted prosecutors’ request to close his courtroom to media and the public for the first part of the preliminary hearing for Griffin and Angela A. Blackwell, 45, the alleged grandmother.

The girl who prosecutors say Blackwell traded to Griffin testified against the pair, as did at least two other girls who Griffin also is charged with assaulting.

Frank concluded the hearing, where the judge decides if prosecutors have probable cause to take a defendant to trial in Circuit Court, late Monday afternoon and said testimony would continue April 23.

Griffin, who last lived at 2517 Owen in Saginaw, is charged with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13 or, in the alternative, first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13 during the commission of a felony, as well as a single count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13 and two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct by force or coercion.

He also faces a charge of possessing with intent to deliver under 50 grams of cocaine and two firearm charges.

Blackwell, who last lived at 1410 S. Center, Apt. 4, in Saginaw Township, faces the first-degree sexual assault charges as well as single counts of pandering or pimping and possessing under 25 grams of cocaine.

First-degree criminal sexual conduct, the most serious of sexual assault offenses, involves penetration and carries a maximum sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole. When the charge concerns a person younger than 13, the minimum sentence is 25 years. Second degree and fourth degree involve variations of touching.

The second- and fourth-degree charges involve other victims in separate incidents.

Saginaw Police Detective Sgt. Joseph Dutoi has said Blackwell’s granddaughter would visit her grandmother on the weekends, and Blackwell would take her to Griffin's home, where, in exchange for cocaine or other narcotics, Griffin would be allowed to sexually assault the granddaughter. The first assault took place in September and last assault was in February, Dutoi said.

Griffin and Blackwell remained jailed on $950,000 and $160,000 cash- or surety-only bonds.